460 



THE ARIEL PETAURUS. 



to the root of the tail. The head is somewhat darker than the rest of the body. The 

 under parts of the body are nearly white. 



Its long and bushy tail is covered with a profusion of very long, full, soft hair, grayish- 

 brown above, and of a beautiful white underneath. The extremely long tail with which 

 these animals are furnished appears to be of exceeding service to them in balancing 

 their bodies as they make their desperate leap through space, and may also be useful 

 in aiding them to modify the original direction of their sweep through the air. 



This supposition is strengthened by the fact, that many long-tailed animals employ 

 that member for the same purpose when they are perched in any critical position where 

 an accurate balance is needful. I have seen a large spider-monkey the same animal 

 whose exploits have already been recorded on page 112 employ her long prehensile 

 tail for the same purpose. She was seated upon a loose horizontal cord, holding as 

 usual by her hands and tail. But when I gave her an apple, she removed both her 

 hands from the cord, grasping it firmly with her hinder feet, and then permitted her 

 tail to hang its full length, so that she could balance herself by swinging it from side to 

 side, according to the necessity of the moment. 



This was the more remarkable, as the animal is noted for the pertinacity with which 

 it grasps any neighboring object with its tail, and never likes to move without securing 

 itself by its tail to the various objects as it goes along, or even to the string by which 

 it is led. 



The Sugar Squirrel, like the other Petaurists, is a nocturnal animal, and is seldom 

 seen in the daytime. During the hours of daylight it remains concealed in one -of the 

 hollow branches of the enormous trees that grow in its native country, and can only be 

 detected in its retreat by the marvellous organs of vision with which the native 

 Australians are gifted. As soon as evening comes on, the Sugar Squirrels issue from 

 their darksome caverns, and immediately become very frolicsome, darting from tree to 

 tree, and going through the most extraordinary and daring evolutions with admirable 

 ease. 



It seems to be a gamesome little animal, and fond of the society of its own species, 

 although it does not appear to respond very readily to the caresses or advances of 

 human playfellows. Being fond of society, the Sugar Squirrels associate in small 

 companies as soon as they emerge from their retreats, and thus are enabled to enjoy 

 their graceful pastime to their hearts' content- Any cage, however, must be most 

 annoying to these active little creatures, who are accustomed to sweep through very 

 considerable spaces in their leap. Mr. Bennet remarks, that the Sugar Squirrel has 

 been known to leap fairly across a river forty yards in width, starting from an elevation 

 of only thirty feet. 



Even in captivity they retain their playfulness, and as soon as night brings their 

 expected day, they awake from the heavy lethargy which oppresses them during the 

 hours of light, and uncoiling themselves from the very comfortable attitude in which 

 they sleep, they begin to be very lively, and to traverse their cage with great agility, 

 chasing one another about their residence, and leaping as far as the confined space 

 will permit them. 



In climbing and leaping, as well as in grasping the branches towards which they aim 

 their flight, the creatures are greatly aided by the manner in which the thumb of the 

 hinder feet is set on the foot, so as to be opposable to the others, thus enabling the 

 creature to clasp the branches in the same manner as the quadrumana. 



THE beautiful little animal which has been called by the expressive name of ARIEL, is 

 about the size of a small rat, and in the hue of the upper portions of the body is not 

 unlike that animal. 



The color of the fur upon the upper portions of the body is a light brown, which 

 darkens considerably upon the parachute membrane. On the under surface it is white, 

 the white fur just turning over the edge of the parachute, and presenting a pretty contrast 

 with the dark brown color of its upper surface. The tail is nearly of the same color as 

 the body, with the exception of the tip, which is dark. On account of its graceful 

 movements, and the easy undulating sweep of its passage through the air, it has earned 



